Vanderbilt Knots Baseball Series, 6-3

May 12, 2012, 11:50 PM (CT)
Updated: May 13, 2012, 09:10 AM (CT)

The senior class was honored prior to Saturday's first pitch

Hilary Scheinuk

Bill Franques
Communications Sr. Associate

BATON ROUGE, La.- Vanderbilt shortstop Anthony Gomez smacked four base hits and drove in two runs Saturday night to pace the Commodores to a 6-3 victory over third-ranked LSU during in Alex Box Stadium.

LSU dropped to 39-12 overall and 17-9 in the SEC. Vanderbilt improved to 25-25 and 12-14 in the conference. The Tigers are in a second-place tie with South Carolina in the overall league race, trailing Kentucky (18-9) by one-half game.

Game 3 of the LSU-Vanderbilt series begins at 1 p.m. Sunday. The game will be televised on SportSouth/Fox Sports Houston and it may be viewed at ESPN3.com (online blackout may apply in some areas).

Sophomore right-hander Ryan Eades (5-2) will take the mound for LSU Sunday, while Vanderbilt will counter with freshman right-hander Tyler Beede (1-4).

"It was just one of those games where nothing seemed to work for us, and Vanderbilt played just a little bit better than we did," said LSU coach Paul Mainieri. "We kept ourselves within striking distance all the way to the end but Vanderbilt threw some quality arms at us and we fell short. I would be surprised, though, if we don't play our best game of the weekend tomorrow."

Mainieri said that LSU starting catcher Ty Ross missed the game after undergoing an appendectomy Saturday afternoon in a Baton Rouge hospital. Mainieri said Ross is expected to return to action in approximately two weeks.

Left-hander Sam Selman (8-3) picked up the win for the Commodores Saturday after allowing one run on four hits in five innings with four walks and five strikeouts. LSU freshman right-hander Aaron Nola (6-3) was charged with loss after giving up three runs (two earned) on nine hits with six strikeouts.

Vanderbilt stole five bases and racked up 12 hits in the contest. Second baseman Tony Kemp and Gomez each scored twice and designated hitter Connor Castellano added a pair of base hits.

The Commodores took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Kemp connected on a one-out single, stole second and scored on Gomez's RBI single up the middle.

Vanderbilt added two more in the top of the sixth. Spencer Navin was hit by a pitch and stole second. Castellano singled, and Navin scored on a throwing error by shortstop Austin Nola. Jack Lupo plated Castellano on an infield single.

LSU responded in the bottom half of the sixth. Snikeris drove home Austin Nola from third on an infield single.

Vanderbilt added another in the seventh when Gomez scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch.

The Commodores added two more in the top of the eighth. Kemp walked and stole second before Gomez delivered an RBI double and Conrad Gregor notched an RBI single.

LSU showed fight in the bottom half of the eighth. Austin Nola walked and moved to second on Katz's single. Snikeris smacked a single to load the bases. Moore plated Nola and Katz on a two-RBI single through the right side.

Vanderbilt reliever Will Clinard earned his third save of the season, allowing no runs on two hits over the final 1.2 innings with one strikeout.